The Blessedness of Forgiveness

32¹ Blessed is he [whose] transgression is forgiven, [whose] sin is covered! ² Blessed is the man unto whom Jehovah reckoneth not iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no guile! ³ When I kept silence, my bones waxed old, through my groaning all the day long. ⁴ For day and night thy hand was heavy upon me; my moisture was turned into the drought of summer. Selah. ⁵ I acknowledged my sin unto thee, and mine iniquity I covered not; I said, I will confess my transgressions unto Jehovah, and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin. Selah. ⁶ For this shall every one that is godly pray unto thee at a time when thou mayest be found: surely in the floods of great waters they will not reach him.

⁷ Thou art a hiding-place for me; thou preservest me from trouble; thou dost encompass me with songs of deliverance. Selah. ⁸ I will instruct thee and teach thee the way in which thou shalt go; I will counsel [thee] with mine eye upon thee. ⁹ Be ye not as a horse, as a mule, which have no understanding: whose trappings must be bit and bridle, for restraint, or they will not come unto thee. ¹⁰ Many sorrows hath the wicked; but he that confideth in Jehovah, loving-kindness shall encompass him. ¹¹ Rejoice in Jehovah, and be glad, ye righteous; and shout for joy, all ye upright in heart.

A Prayer for Cleansing

51¹ To the chief Musician. A Psalm of David; when Nathan the prophet came to him, after he had gone in to Bath-sheba. Be gracious unto me, O God, according to thy loving-kindness; according to the abundance of thy tender mercies, blot out my transgressions. ² Wash me fully from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. ³ For I acknowledge my transgressions, and my sin is continually before me. ⁴ Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done what is evil in thy sight; that thou mayest be justified when thou speakest, be clear when thou judgest. ⁵ Behold, in iniquity was I brought forth, and in sin did my mother conceive me. ⁶ Behold, thou wilt have truth in the inward parts; and in the hidden [part] thou wilt make me to know wisdom.

⁷ Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. ⁸ Make me to hear gladness and joy; [that] the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice. ⁹ Hide thy face from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities. ¹⁰ Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. ¹¹ Cast me not away from thy presence, and take not the spirit of thy holiness from me. ¹² Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation, and let a willing spirit sustain me. ¹³ I will teach transgressors thy ways, and sinners shall return unto thee.

¹⁴ Deliver me from blood-guiltiness, O God, thou God of my salvation: my tongue shall sing aloud of thy righteousness. ¹⁵ Lord, open my lips, and my mouth shall declare thy praise. ¹⁶ For thou desirest not sacrifice; else would I give it: thou hast no pleasure in burnt-offering. ¹⁷ The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise. ¹⁸ Do good in thy good pleasure unto Zion; build the walls of Jerusalem. ¹⁹ Then shalt thou have sacrifices of righteousness, burnt-offering, and whole burnt-offering; then shall they offer up bullocks upon thine altar.

A Prayer for God's Continued Mercy

86¹ Incline thine ear, Jehovah, answer me; for I am afflicted and needy. ² Keep my soul, for I am godly; O thou my God, save thy servant who confideth in thee. ³ Be gracious unto me, O Lord; for unto thee do I call all the day. ⁴ Rejoice the soul of thy servant; for unto thee, Lord, do I lift up my soul. ⁵ For thou, Lord, art good, and ready to forgive, and art of great loving-kindness unto all that call upon thee. ⁶ Give ear, O Jehovah, unto my prayer, and attend to the voice of my supplications. ⁷ In the day of my distress I will call upon thee, for thou wilt answer me.

⁸ Among the gods there is none like unto thee, Lord, and there is nothing like unto thy works. ⁹ All nations whom thou hast made shall come and worship before thee, O Lord, and shall glorify thy name. ¹⁰ For thou art great, and doest wondrous things: thou art God, thou alone. ¹¹ Teach me thy way, Jehovah; I will walk in thy truth: unite my heart to fear thy name. ¹² I will praise thee, O Lord my God, with my whole heart; and I will glorify thy name for evermore. ¹³ For great is thy loving-kindness toward me, and thou hast delivered my soul from the lowest Sheol. ¹⁴ O God, the proud are risen against me, and the assembly of the violent seek after my soul, and they have not set thee before them. ¹⁵ But thou, Lord, art a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abundant in goodness and truth. ¹⁶ Turn toward me, and be gracious unto me; give thy strength unto thy servant, and save the son of thine handmaid. ¹⁷ Shew me a token for good, that they which hate me may see it, and be ashamed; for thou, Jehovah, hast helped me and comforted me.

A Prayer for the Peace of Jerusalem

122¹ I rejoiced when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of Jehovah. ² Our feet shall stand within thy gates, O Jerusalem. ³ Jerusalem, which art built as a city that is compact together, ⁴ Whither the tribes go up, the tribes of Jah, a testimony to Israel, to give thanks unto the name of Jehovah. ⁵ For there are set thrones for judgment, the thrones of the house of David.

⁶ Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: they shall prosper that love thee. ⁷ Peace be within thy bulwarks, prosperity within thy palaces. ⁸ For my brethren and companions' sakes I will say, Peace be within thee! ⁹ Because of the house of Jehovah our God I will seek thy good.